Consuming paid media of a content platform

Abstract

A content platform that includes subscribable paid channels is provided. The content platform receives, via a user interface, a request of an end user to subscribe to a paid channel. The paid channel is one of a plurality of channels of the content platform and has dynamically changed content. The content platform requests, via the user interface, end user information that includes payment information of the end user. The content platform receives the end user information and creates a subscription to the paid channel for the end user based on the end user information. The content platform provides, via the user interface, access to the content of the paid channel to the end user at substantially the same time as creating the subscription for the end user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 providing a user interface to present graphical representations of a plurality of paid channels of a content platform and a plurality of indicators of a subscription status of an end user with respect to the plurality of paid channels, a first indicator of the plurality of indicators of the subscription status of the end user for a first paid channel of the plurality of paid channels graphically illustrating that the end user is not subscribed to the first paid channel; 
 receiving, via the user interface, a request of the end user to subscribe to the first paid channel of the content platform, the request of the end user provided via the first indicator of the subscription status; and 
 responsive to the request of the end user, subscribing the end user to the first paid channel, wherein subscribing the end user to the first paid channel comprises:
 identifying end user information comprising payment information of the end user; 
 creating, by a processing device, a subscription to the first paid channel for the end user based on the end user information; 
 providing, via the user interface, access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user at substantially the same time as creating the subscription for the end user; and 
 causing the first indicator of the subscription status of the end user for the first paid channel to be changed in the user interface to graphically illustrate that the end user is subscribed to the first paid channel. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content platform facilitates at least one of content uploading, content sharing, feedback sharing, or content curation. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of paid channels are curated by different channel curators. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a request of a curator of the first paid channel to add a new media item to the first paid channel; 
 adding the new media item to the first paid channel in real time in response to the request of the curator of the first paid channel; and 
 presenting the new media item as part of the first paid channel immediately after the new media item is added to the first paid channel. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a request of a curator of the first paid channel to remove an existing media item from the first paid channel; and 
 removing the existing media item from the first paid channel in real time in response to the request of the curator of the first paid channel. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the end user information comprises receiving payment information from the end user, wherein the payment information comprises one of: credit card information, bank information, digital currency information, digital wallet information, or electronic payment information. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access to the content of the first paid channel is provided to the end user via a user device used by the end user to submit the request to subscribe to the first paid channel, wherein the user device is one of a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a cellular phone. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user comprises:
 adding media items of the first paid channel to a user feed generated for the end user; and 
 presenting the user feed to the end user. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user feed comprises at least one free media item and at least one paid media item, wherein the at least one free media item is available via the user feed after the user has subscribed to the first paid channel. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 receiving a request to unsubscribe the end user from the first paid channel; and 
 preventing media items of the first paid channel from appearing in the user feed. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user comprises:
 adding the first paid channel to a user subscription list of the end user; 
 presenting the user subscription list to the end user; 
 receiving a selection of the first paid channel from the user subscription list; and 
 presenting media items of the first paid channel to the end user. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user comprises:
 receiving, via the user interface, a search query from the end user; 
 presenting, via the user interface and in response to the search query, a search result comprising at least one media item of the first paid channel; 
 receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one of the at least one media item of the first paid channel; and 
 playing, via the user interface, the selected media item of the first paid channel to the end user. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user via an additional user interface of the content platform, the additional user interface (UI) comprising at least one of a channel UI, a composite channel UI, a component channel UI, or a video recommendation UI. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first paid channel is a composite channel that comprises a plurality of component channels. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first paid channel is a composite channel comprising at least one component channel and at least one media item that is not part of any component channel. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 receiving a request to unsubscribe the end user from the first paid channel; and 
 preventing the end user from accessing paid items of the first paid channel in response to the request to unsubscribe. 
 
     
     
       17. A system, comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processing device coupled with the memory, the processing device being configured to
 provide a user interface to present graphical representations of a plurality of paid channels of a content platform and a plurality of indicators of a subscription status of an end user with respect to the plurality of paid channels, a first indicator of the plurality of indicators of the subscription status of the end user for a first paid channel of the plurality of paid channels graphically illustrating that the end user is not subscribed to the first paid channel; 
 receive, via the user interface, a request of the end user to subscribe to the first paid channel of the content platform, the request of the end user provided via the first indicator of the subscription status; and 
 responsive to the request of the end user, subscribe the end user to the first paid channel, wherein to subscribe the end user to the first paid channel, the processing device is to: 
 identify end user information comprising payment information of the end user; 
 
 create a subscription to the first paid channel for the end user based on the end user information; 
 provide access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user at substantially the same time as creating the subscription for the end user; and 
 cause the first indicator of the subscription status of the end user for the first paid channel to be changed in the user interface to graphically illustrate that the end user is subscribed to the first paid channel. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the content platform facilitates at least one of content uploading, content sharing, feedback sharing, or content curation. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processing device is further configured to
 receive a request of a curator of the first paid channel to remove an existing media item from the first paid channel; and 
 remove the existing media item from the first paid channel in real time in response to the request of the curator of the first paid channel. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processing device is to identify the end user information by receiving payment information from the end user, wherein the payment information comprises one of: credit card information, bank information, digital currency information, digital wallet information, or electronic payment information. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 17 , wherein when providing access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user, the processing device being configured to
 add media items of the first paid channel to a user feed generated for the end user; and 
 present the user feed to the end user. 
 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:
 providing a user interface to present graphical representations of a plurality of paid channels of a content platform and a plurality of indicators of a subscription status of an end user with respect to the plurality of paid channels, a first indicator of the plurality of indicators of the subscription status of the end user for a first paid channel of the plurality of paid channels graphically illustrating that the end user is not subscribed to the first paid channel; 
 receiving, via the user interface, a request of the end user to subscribe to the first paid channel of the content platform, the request of the end user provided via the first indicator of the subscription status; and 
 responsive to the request of the end user, subscribing the end user to the first paid channel, wherein subscribing the end user to the first paid channel comprises:
 identifying end user information comprising payment information of the end user; 
 creating, by a processing device, a subscription to the first paid channel for the end user based on the end user information; 
 providing, via the user interface, access to the content of the first paid channel to the end user at substantially the same time as creating the subscription for the end user; and 
 causing the first indicator of the subscription status of the end user for the first paid channel to be changed in the user interface to graphically illustrate that the end user is subscribed to the first paid channel. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising:
 receiving a request of a curator of the first paid channel to add a new media item to the first paid channel; 
 adding the new media item to the first paid channel in real time in response to the request of the curator of the first paid channel; and 
 presenting the new media item as part of the first paid channel immediately after the new media item is added to the first paid channel. 
 
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising
 receiving a request of a curator of the first paid channel to remove an existing media item from the first paid channel; and 
 removing the existing media item from the first paid channel in real time in response to the request of the curator of the paid channel. 
 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising:
 adding media items of the first paid channel to a user feed generated for the end user, wherein the user feed comprises at least one free media item and at least one paid media item, wherein the at least one free media item is available via the user feed after the user has subscribed to the first paid channel; and 
 presenting the user feed to the end user.